Back when you were a kid, you may (depending on your age) have checked books out of your library using a circulation card. The cards, like the one pictured to the right, would allow the librarian to keep track of the books, who had them, and when they were expected back at the library.

Getting a patent demand letter from a troll can be a scary experience. The letters often include a lot of legal jargon, not to mention a patent that is often impenetrable (at least, not without hiring an expensive lawyer to translate it for you).

But suppose you are concerned that the patent may impact your business. After trying to reach an agreement with the patent owner and failing, you may be told by your lawyer that the next step is to go to court.

Unfortunately, thanks to a 1998 court case, you often can’t go to your local courthouse and get things figured out. Instead, you may be forced to go to a courthouse across the country, in a small corner of a state that you have little to no connection to.

Today Public Knowledge, Engine, and EFF filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court about patent damages. This guest post is by former EFF apprentice legal intern Charles Duan, now the Director of Public Knowledge’s Patent Reform Project. It iscross-posted from Public Knowledge’s blog.